The main problem with food waste
We are about to enter a new period of inflation. Due to disruptions in the global food supply chain, businesses and individuals are finding it difficult to pay for necessities, and experts believe that food prices could increase by up to 50% this year.
Good food cannot be wasted now more than ever because it is expensive for the environment and for humans. However, food waste is a hidden, underappreciated problem that most customers are unaware of. As a result, the problem frequently doesn’t get the focus and attention it needs.
According to WRAP research, only 32% of British people believe there is a direct connection between food waste and climate change, compared to 52% who believe there is a direct connection between aviation and climate change. Most people would be shocked to hear that, after the US and China, food waste would be the third-largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world if it were a country. We must take immediate action to address the problem of food waste because living standards are so high and environment protection is more crucial than ever.
According to our Hellmann’s research, individuals nowadays accidentally squander food in their homes because they don’t have the confidence or skills to prepare a meal using the ingredients they find in their refrigerators, or they don’t have the time or energy to cook after a hectic day. Alternatively, we just forget what’s in the refrigerator drawer’s back.
Customers frequently blame shops and restaurants for the issue of food waste, or they blame other parties in the supply chain. On the other hand, household food waste accounts for 61 percent of food waste worldwide and a startling 70 percent of food waste in the UK. Therefore, companies that have a direct consumer interface have work to do.
How Change Is Inspired by Hellmann’s
Hellmann’s is dedicated to using its platform to have a large-scale positive impact because it feels that food is too good to waste. As a multinational company with a 50% market share in households in the US, UK, and Brazil, we have a duty and an opportunity to assist consumers in improving their food management skills and cutting back on waste.
Through our “Make Taste, Not Waste” campaigns, Hellmann’s has been able to inspire over 200 million people in the US, Canada, and the UK to make delicious meals out of their leftovers. We have also been able to use behavioural science to provide families with the tools they need to be more frugal with the food they have on hand.
We conducted one of the longest and largest consumer behavior intervention studies on household food waste in 2021 in collaboration with behavioural scientists BEworks in Canada and other international experts. Our goal was to identify doable strategies that people could implement at home to cut down on food waste without compromising the pleasure that comes with mealtimes.
The most recent US pilot study of our Hellmann’s behavior modification program revealed that over the course of four weeks, straightforward interventions like using Hellmann’s Flexipes and implementing one Use-Up Day per week reduced household food waste by 46%.
Our straightforward, adaptable recipes, or “Flexipes,” make use of Hellmann’s distinctive “3+1” framework, which combines common ingredients from several categories: a base of carbohydrates, the majority of wasted fruit or vegetables, a source of protein, and a “magic touch” to bring a dish together.
88 percent of participants reported feeling more resourceful in the kitchen after finishing the course, indicating that the program worked best for those who normally had more trouble controlling their food.
We have developed the program into a free app called Fridge Night to encourage people to be more creative with the food they already have in their homes because 86 percent of respondents said it should be available to a wider audience. The Fridge Night app and e-booklet now be downloaded in the US and Canada, and the UK will receive them later this year.